Tackle collective hurdles at 2026 AOA Olive Industry Think Tank Workshops
The AOA has announced the format of this year’s annual industry gathering, with a series of Olive Industry Think Tank Workshops to be held across the country.
The state-based events replace the AOA National Olive Conference & Exhibition, which was put on hold for 2026 due to the ongoing uncertainty around the global fuel supply.
“The longer-term impacts of the ongoing Middle-East conflict are still unknown and there is no certainty regarding the fuel supply situation by October,” AOA CEO Michael Southan said.
“Growers tell us that fuel is currently among the most significant issues for their businesses – both the increased cost and ongoing availability – so it would be tone-deaf to organise a centralised national gathering requiring substantial travel and expense for all participants.
“Growers have also told us of the value of knowledge-sharing and networking via industry events, so we’ve created these new state-based Think Tank Workshops to enable that important interaction to still happen this year.
“And the focus – from format to program – is firmly on growers themselves. We want everyone to be able to attend one of the Think Tanks, so they’ll run over a long half-day with networking at either end. Most growers will be able to get there and back in a day, with minimal down-time and no additional expenses.
“While you’re there, you’ll be part of a peer-to-peer, problem-solving workshop packed with practical business information. Feedback from AOA extension events tells us that the best insights often come from fellow growers who have already navigated the exact challenges that you are facing, so we’ve designed the Think Tanks to enable growers from across the industry to gather and share knowledge.
“With program topics based around local issues, it’s an opportunity to tackle collective hurdles, and walk away with practical, actionable ideas.”
Help shape your local Think Tank
To ensure those local issues are truly reflected at each event, the AOA’s organising team want to know about the specific state-level challenges and agronomic barriers impacting your groves right now.
We’ve created a quick 5 question pre-event survey so you can tell us about the real-world environmental, operational and pest/disease pressures unique to your region. It’ll take just 5 minutes, so please click through here and let your voice help drive the agenda.
Details
Timeframe: Early-mid November 2026
Locations: NSW, VIC, SA, TAS and WA (exact dates and locations TBC)
Cost: $88 AOA members/levy payers; $110 General ticket.
More information
We’ll update on event details in Grove Innovation as they’re confirmed, and provide a comprehensive overview of the Think Tank Workshop programs in the September edition of R&D Insights. In the meantime, you can find out more and view the initial draft program here.
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These events are part of the Olive levy project Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL22000), funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.